My Reason
by gaiaoftheforest
Summary: How can everything fall apart and come together in the same, glorious moment? A story of two lonely men and the healing they give.
1. Chapter 1

My Reason

Chapter 1

_How did this happen? How did everything just fall apart in front of me?_

_ Why am I surprised? It didn't just happen today, all at once. Everything's been crumbling around me for years, ever since she left._ The dark haired Usami knocked back another expensive shot of real Russian vodka, gasping under his breath as it burned its way down his esophagus. He slammed the glass on the worn bar, gesturing at the petite blond bartender for another shot.

Normally, Usami Haruhiko wouldn't have been caught dead in a common bar without valet parking or leather upholstered seating dotting sleek modern hardwood floors, not to mention a gay bar, full of sweaty half-dressed men writhing in a mass of orgasmic delight. No, this was most definitely not the normal scene of the son of a distinguished Usami, even if he was the out and proud golden boy Akihiko.

The bartender hesitantly slid another shot of their most expensive vodka to the downtrodden businessman, watching him carefully while wiping another glass dry. When the depressed man first walked in, tie loose and a determined gleam in his eye, the bartender knew he'd be trouble. He'd gestured at the bouncer to grab his keys: he knew the look of a man who wouldn't accept anything less than complete and total mental annihilation by alcohol. He sighed, pushing the longer light locks away from his face, his earring glinting in the light.

Fujioka Reiji wasn't expecting anything more than the usual tonight, probably some drunk assholes trying to grope him, cleaning up the usual messes in the bathrooms, and then go home and crash in his bed before getting up four hours later for class. The exact same scenario six days of the week, with one break on Sunday when he got to sleep a whole six hours before running to his other job at the ice cream shop, then the night shift at the gas station. What little time he had between the three jobs and school he'd work on his homework and his drawings. The same cycle, repeating over and over, forever until he collapsed from old age, wrinkled and decrepit and probably still single and alone.

"Rei-kun," a voice crooned to the small man's left, making him roll his pale blue eyes. He glanced to the side, hair falling into his eyes again as he raised a pale eyebrow at the obviously sloshed man draping himself over the bar, an alcohol induced grin plastered on his face. Just as plastered as the man himself.

"Ginji, how the hell did you get in here? You're banned, get out." Rei narrowed his eyes at the drunk, clasping the glass in his hands harder than absolutely necessary.

"Aww Rei-kun, are you still mad at me? I told you I was sowwy." Ginji _hicupped_, reaching out a hand. "Come 'ere and give me a kiss and I'll forgive you."

"Oh fuck this shit," Rei growled. He signaled the bouncer, Daichi, over with a nod of his head. A former wrestler, Daichi made it his main goal to keep the customers from hitting on the cute blonde, a job which involved a lot more than most thought. The artsy bohemian bartender attracted a lot of attention with his unusual coloring, piercings, and "fuck me" uke vibe.

"Is there a prob- Ginji, I threw you out last week! You're banned, you drunk fucker! Ugh, sorry Reiji-san, I'll get him out," Daichi roughly hoisted the drunk up completely off his feet, sputtering in indignation.

"Wait, Rei-kun, don't let him take me! We're meant to be together, you'll see!"

"Make sure you put his picture up this time, I'm pretty sure Bisha-san was the baka who let him in again!" Rei called before slumping his aching shoulders. He glanced back at the tall businessman who had just finished his twelfth vodka, and apparently had slumped completely forward onto the counter, shot glass tipped over.

"Oh fuck my life," he groaned. _What am I about to do? Falling for a pretty face? Kami I'll regret this tomorrow._ After checking his watch, he saw it was time for him to leave; glancing back at the handsome drunk, his glasses askew, he bit his lip and signaled Daichi over again.

"Who's bothering you this time, Rei-san?"

"No one, but I gotta get this guy home. I got his keys and address, can you help me carry him out to his car?"

Daichi raised a thick eyebrow. "You sure about this, Rei? How are you gonna get home?"

Oh yeah. He hadn't thought of that. "I'll get a taxi," he cringed, biting his lip. Well, there go most of his tips for the night, and his new pencils.

Daichi didn't look convinced, but sighed. "Alright, let's get him out there."

After struggling with the heavy executive to get him out the door and having his car pointed out by Bisha, an expensive model that probably cost more than three years of rent for his apartment, they finally got him sprawled in the back seat, panting heavily as Rei slammed the door shut.

"So, how are you going to get him out of the car?" Daichi smirked, crossing his heavily muscled arms.

"I'll figure something out," Rei snapped irritably. He grabbed the keys from the back pocket of his black skinny jeans and opened the driver door, slamming it shut as he gunned the engine. Daichi jumped back as the short man shot out of the parking space, screeching the tires for all they were worth, pulling out carelessly into the almost dead early morning traffic.

"Damn that kid's nuts," he muttered, laughing under his breath. He scratched his bald head as he moved back inside, winking flirtatiously at Bisha, who colored brightly and ducked his dark head, growling about the "stupid ass".

"Ok, so where am I taking this guy?" Rei murmured, holding onto the wheel with one hand, clamping onto his passenger's wallet with his teeth, and tugging the driver's license out of the tight sleeve. He squinted at it while glancing at the road every so often, just to keep them from crashing. After reading the address he swore, tossing the wallet on the passenger seat.

Turns out the rich drunk lived outside he city itself, a good forty-five minutes away in some rich neighborhood where your nearest neighbor couldn't hear you scream if an axe murderer decided to drop by for a cup of sugar. There was no way he was driving all the way out there for this spoiled pathetic ass! But that still left him with a problem.

If he drove all the way to wherever this guy lived, he wouldn't get home for almost two hours, and he had to relieve Ami of duty ten minutes ago. Thankfully she didn't charge him, but still, he felt horrible making his friend volunteer longer than she already did. On the other hand, with his roommate, could he risk bringing some strange man who might be a violent drunk back to his apartment? He glanced in the rearview mirror, taking in the peacefulness of the man's face.

_Oh, screw it._

"If you do something stupid, man, I will beat the rich out of you," he muttered, swinging the car to a hard left, towards his own apartment.

_"Onii-san!" Fourteen year old Haruhiko glanced up from his book, shutting it quickly so that whoever was calling him wouldn't see the book on modern architecture. He smothered his smile as a little girl bounded across the grass, her long strawberry blonde hair streaming behind her._

_ "What is it, Miyako?" His voice he kept cold on purpose, hoping that his seven year old sister wouldn't get too attached to him, a bastard. But she did anyway, even hugging him the first day he arrived at the Usami home from his native England._

_ "Tomorrow's your birthday, Onii-san!" she grinned, proudly displaying the wide gap in her front teeth. "And I lost another tooth! It's a good omen! It'll be a great day!"_

_ Haruhiko couldn't stop himself from smiling this time, her sweet optimism and toothless smile warming him in a way that no one else could. "Is that so?"_

_ "Yep! I don't care if Oto-san or Oka-san won't do anything for your birthday, they're stupid, I wanna to make it awesome this year! Whatever you wanna do, we'll do it!" Her earnestness touched him deeply, and he didn't even try to stop the smile from spreading across his face._

_ "You shouldn't say such things about your parents, Miyako," he said softly. "But what did you have in mind?"_

_ "No, it's your birthday, you haveta choose. But I made you something today!" Eagerly she thrust a folded piece of construction paper at him, her silver-violet eyes shining in anticipation. "Read it, read it, read it!"_

_ "Okay, calm down!" he laughed, plucking the card from his chest. Cut into the shape of a heart, he opened the purple construction paper, eyes widening as he saw the picture of him, his younger brother, and Miyako in painstaking detail, all holding hands. He ignored the pang in his heart as he read the message:_

_ "Hapy Berthdai, Ohnie-sahn! I luv yu! I hoap sumdai we can al bee a familie"_

_ Haruhiko swallowed the lump in his throat, closing the card gingerly and laying it in his lap. Miyako looked at him with a worried expression._

_ "You didn't like it, did you? I'm sorry, Onii-san." Her eyes filled with tears, her tiny nose sniffling._

_ Suddenly the little girl was pulled into her nii-san's arms, head resting against his shoulder. "No, I love it. Just... just don't tell anyone, but I... I hope so, too." He was appalled when he felt the wetness on his own face and buried his head further into her sweet-smelling hair. He felt a small hand rub his shoulder soothingly as he sobbed softly into her shoulder._

_ "It'll get better someday, Onii-san. I promise."_

"Oto-san, who is that?" _That voice, it sounds just like her... so innocent and sweet..._

"He's a friend, sweetie, so be extra quiet, ok?" _But who is that? A man? It's not my brother, the voice isn't deep enough... not Misaki either..._

"Okay, Oto-san. How come you're not at school?" _Her voice... it hurts, to hear it, but I feel like I need to hear it... someone who's not so jaded, not hurting like me..._

"I decided to take a day off today to spend with you, short stuff." Slowly Haruhiko opened his eyes, wincing at the sharp, jabbing pains in his temples. _Damn, how drunk did I get last night? Did I sleep with this guy? _The smell of cooking omelette and miso soup made his stomach heave, and he struggled to sit up quickly, causing the entire world to tilt on its head for him.

"Oto-san, I think your friend is waking up. He doesn't look like he feels so good." The little girl, her wide blue eyes watching the new person in her home, peeked over the back of the couch.

Rei snapped his head from flipping an omelette just in time to see his "visitor" clamp a hand over his mouth. He vaulted over the kitchen counter and helped the man stand, pushing him into the bathroom. They made it just in time before Haruhiko emptied everything in his stomach into the toilet. Rei sighed, rubbing the man's back soothingly.

"Oto-san, I turned off the burner and moved the pain, was that ok?" the small voice called from the living room.

"That's fine, Akari! Your plate's on the counter, go ahead and we'll be out in a minute!" Rei called back, focusing back on the incapacitated man holding onto the toilet for dear life. When he had finished heaving, Rei darted out to the kitchen for a large glass of water and painkillers.

"Here," he handed the tall man the painkillers, which he shakily tipped back into his throat, and pressed the rim of the glass against his lips. Their fingers brushed when he passed the glass, and Rei's heart _thumped_ loudly when those dark eyes met his. He swallowed hard and stepped back.

"Drink that and come out when you feel like you can keep something down, there's breakfast." He turned to leave, but stopped when a dark, smoky voice met his ears.

"Thank you." He smiled in embarrassment and waved him off, darting into the hallway. _Why is my heart pounding so loudly? Geez, the first good-looking guy who has some manners and you fall over yourself like a girl! That's attractive, Rei, real attractive._ Rei sighed and walked back into the kitchen, smiling at the little girl who sat primly on a pile of pillows, eagerly eating her omelette and salmon.

"Slow down pipsqueak, you'll get a stomachache," he laughed, grabbing the slightly burnt omelette and sliding it onto a plate for himself before turning on the burner to start another one. "Excited to start school tomorrow?" The little girl stopped shoveling food into her mouth, lowering her pink chopsticks and chewing methodically. "Kari, what's wrong?"

The little girl sighed, her dirty blonde hair visibly deflating in the two pigtails on top of her head. "What if I don't make friends, Oto-san? What if people think I'm weird because I don't have an Oka-san?" she whispered, her eyes filling up with tears.

"Kari, you'll make lots of friends! And why is that?" When he didn't get a response, he flipped the omelette and slid it smoothly onto a plate, making his way over. "Come on, why does everyone love you?"

The little girl sniffled, trying not to smile. "Because I'm Princess of the Pegasus Ponies?"

Rei laughed and grabbed her, tossing her in the air and catching her with a shriek and smattering of girlish giggles. "Exactly! Everyone loves the Princess, and you'll have the best time and make tons of friends, okay?" He held her on his hip, nuzzling her nose while she grinned brightly at him. He dropped her back on her pillow throne and smiled approvingly while she resumed trying to unhinge her jaw like an anaconda to inhale her food.

From the doorway, Haruhiko watched the moment between father and daughter with a lump in his throat that had nothing to do with the flashback of all of his meals from the previous day. This was the family he had always hoped for but never dared believe he could have. His hand tightened on the doorway, the only betrayal of his feelings.

Rei glanced at him and motioned him over. "You're probably not feeling up to it, but you'll want at least a little something in your stomach or you'll get sick again. Weird, I know, but life is funny," he chattered, placing a plain bowl of rice and a cup of miso soup in front of the tall man.

"Thank you," Haruhiko said softly. He glanced at the little girl and started at her omelette smeared face beaming at him.

"Are you Oto-san's boyfriend?" she asked innocently, grinning happily.

"Kari, no! If you're done go wash your face, half your breakfast ends up on your face and the other half you swallow whole like a crocodile. We need to talk for a little bit, so grab 'Beauty and the Beast' and watch it in my room, okay?"

"Okay, Oto-san!" she giggled, wiping most of the mess on her face with a napkin. "Nice to meet you, mister!" she waved at Haruhiko, who awkwardly nodded in reply. She skipped in her blue panda pajamas down the hallway, where they heard water running a moment later.

"I'm sorry about that, she's been begging me for a mommy or another daddy and... oh crap, that's a lot of information you didn't need, sorry," Rei slapped his forehead, placing his own plate on the table across from his guest.

"It's quite alright. I would like to apologize for all the trouble you have gone through for my sake," Haruhiko said softly. "I will, of course, compensate you for your troubles."

Rei stared at him dumbly, blinking slowly. "I'm pretty sure you just thanked me and offered to pay me," he said slowly. "But there's no reason, it wasn't that bad. I normally would have taken you home and just grabbed the taxi fare to get home from your wallet, but I had to relieve my babysitter. Your keys and wallet are on the counter whenever you need to go."

Haruhiko nodded majestically. "Of course, I will leave as soon as possible."

"Oh no, I didn't mean I was kicking you out!" Rei laughed, waving his hands in embarrassment. "You can stay as long as you want! I lucked out and had my class cancel, and I took the day off work for the first time ever, so it's not like I have to be anywhere today. But, I mean, if you have to be somewhere, you don't have to stick around for my sake either. But, I mean..."

_Why the hell do I think this is so damn cute?_ "Is there anyway I can trouble you for a toothbrush, um..."

"Oh geez, I'm such a ditz, sorry, my name's Fujioka Reiji, but you can just call me Rei, and yeah, I've got one or two running around, I'll go find one in a second."

"Thank you."

Rei waited in expectation for a few moments, but realized that the man across the table wasn't going to speak. "And you are?"

"My apologies," his voice rumbled and trickled down Rei's spine, making him suppress an audible shiver. "I am Usami Haruhiko."

Rei perked at the name. "You designed the aquarium renovation a couple years ago, right? I take Kari there every year for her birthday, it's her favorite place." Haruhiko nodded uncomfortably, making Rei smile at him.

"Well, let me find you that toothbrush," he stood and took his empty plate to the sink (Haruhiko had been amazed to find that the daughter took after her father in food consumption: he had never seen anyone eat a bowl of rice in one swallow before) before heading to the bathroom for the toothbrush.

_How did I end up on an episode of Our Happy Family?_ He smiled, thinking about the boy that had helped him. Wiry but toned, he was nothing like Haruhiko's first love, Misaki, less innocent but twice as chatty. His hair, shorter and paler, set off his golden-kissed skin perfectly, making the executive stir in a way he didn't think he could again after Misaki's rejection.

"Found it! Sorry that it's Dora the Explorer, Kari loses hers all the time and I buy them in bulk. There's some non-fruity tootie toothpaste on the counter you can use and some paper cups."

Haruhiko took the toothbrush gingerly, trying not to grimace at the image of a grey monkey in red boots adorning the handle, and headed into the bathroom. As he brushed with the pomegranate-flavored toothpaste, he pondered the man in the other room some more.

He was a manga artist, obvious from his character designs tacked up on the wall. It brought a little pang to his chest, remembering someone else who was blond and loved to draw.

He shook his head, spitting out the flavored foam and rinsing his mouth with water. Rei was more different than anyone he'd ever known before, from the three piercings in his left ear and two in his right, right on down to the black skinny jeans and worn red converses that were too big. No, Haruhiko didn't belong in this cozy family world; his family was just too fucked up.

He glanced at the mirror and grimaced at his red-rimmed eyes and the light stubble that covered his jaw. He was surprised the little girl hadn't run away screaming, or that Rei hadn't kicked him out yet. Oh well, he needed to get back to the hospital anyway. He smirked, remembering the fight between himself and his father. After that little "incident" the night before, he was glad he had bought the penthouse in the center of Tokyo, since he had a feeling he wouldn't be welcome at home for quite a while.

He straightened his tie and tucked his button down back into his pants. He still looked wrinkled and disheveled, so unlike an Usami, but at least he looked less like the Grim Reaper.

Haruhiko left the bathroom, grabbing his suit jacket hanging on the arm of the sofa. He nodded at Rei, who glanced up from doing the dishes. "Leaving already? You are welcome to stay, you know."

"I appreciate it, but I have to be at the hospital soon." He hadn't realized what he said until Rei's head jerked to attention, his eyes full of concern.

"The hospital? Are you okay?" _Why do those eyes look sad for me? And why is my heart aching?_

"No," he shook his head, "I'm fine. It's my... my younger sister who's in the hospital."

"Oh," Rei lowered his face, his bangs hiding his eyes. "I'm sorry. I hope she feels better."

_She will, now that the bastard who happened to father us both won't be involved in her life anymore_. "Thank you." He hesitated reaching for his keys, contemplating.

Rei felt jittery and nervous, feeling Haruhiko's eyes on him. _What is he doing? Why doesn't he just leave, this is torture!_ He nervously scrubbed the same plate three times before realizing it, and hastily shoved it into the sink full of rinsing water.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over him. He looked up, and before he could comprehend it, a pair of lips fell on his. Rei froze, not sure what to do, before pulling his wet hands from the water and gripping Haruhiko's shirt collar in a universal sign of _fuck it_.

Strong lips moved with his, and when they parted to pull his bottom lip between two sets of perfect teeth he all but melted, groaning indecently into the other mouth. An insistent tongue prodded his lips and he opened them hesitantly, moaning and gasping when that slick muscle began to entwine with his.

Every sound Rei made only made Haruhiko harder. He gripped a firm jean-clad ass, kneading and tugging as they tried to get closer in every way possible.

Finally, just before Rei was going to beg the businessman to take him on the counter then and there, Haruhiko pulled away, his dark eyes burning behind his glasses. "I'd like to see you again," he said hoarsely, licking his lips in a way that made Rei smother a whimper, imagining what else that clever tongue could do. "Properly, though, and without me intoxicated beyond my senses."

"Kami, you sound like a Jane Austen novel," Rei laughed breathily, "But yeah, I'd like that." He accepted the business card thrust in his hand and watched with too bright eyes as Haruhiko shrugged on his jacket. He gave the trembling boy one last smoldering look before walking quickly through the door.

Rei collapsed on the kitchen floor, hands still wet and soapy, and touched his lips. "Fuck, I am such a girl. Getting giddy because some rich guy is interested, like some fucked up gay fairy tale. I am not a princess!"

"I am!" a high-pitched voice sing-songed back to him from down the hall, and he threw his head against the cabinets, laughing until tears ran down his cheeks.

"Yes you are, short stuff."

**A/N: So this is my first Junjou fic, and it's actually going to have a sister fic which will explain... well, the whole sister thing. This is obviously Haruhiko and OC, and the other is Akihiko and Misaki, and eventually the other couples will get their own stories in the "Reason" series. I'm pretty excited about this series, so let me know what you think, and chapter 1 of "The Reason" should be going up pretty soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**My Reason**

**Chapter 2**

Rei swallowed hard, staring at his phone. It had been three days since Haruhiko had passed out at the bar and woken at his apartment. He'd waited before calling the number on the card, knowing that the man was dealing with his sister in the hospital. But he couldn't imagine, after seeing the news this morning, how the man was dealing with the break of the biggest scandal to hit Japan in decades.

"The widow of Ekiguchi Benjirou, the real estate magnate, has been implicated in the dismissal of seven corporate executives and the impeachment of five members of the Diet.

"Twenty-four year old Ekiguchi Miyako was hospitalized two days after the death of her husband. She was found by her brother, the author Lord Usami Akihiko, and rushed to the hospital. She remains in stable but critical condition.

"Police raids of the Ekiguchi mansion have found video tapes of the daughter of the Usami Corporation's president Usami Fuyuhiko being sexually abused and beaten by each of the twelve men implicated. The intent of the videos were for the purpose of blackmail, police have said, which has answered questions the recent audit into Ekiguchi Incorporated's mysterious spike in profits was hoping to find. According to the audit, Ekiguchi had an unkown profit increase of over ten billion yen a year. They have ruled out the possibility of the wife's voluntary involvement. We will keep you updated as this story progresses."

Rei just wanted to beat the bastard, both of them. Thinking Haruhiko and remembering his bandaged hand, he smirked, realizing that the oldest Usami had already beaten the shit out of his father.

Good.

Ever since he saw the story on the news, he kept Kari closer, even if for his peace of mind. Thinking that Usami-ane had been a little girl once, playing with her Sailor Senshi dolls on the rug as she defended the world from evil and nap times, made him sick to his stomach. Worse, knowing that her own father had willingly given her to such a man, made him want to hold his little girl tighter than ever.

It also made him want to hold Haruhiko, help soothe away the pain the man must be feeling. His heart broke, knowing how tenderly the man spoke of his little, even with the little he shared, to have to go through this. It didn't seem fair.

So now he had dropped off Kari at kindergarten where, as predicted, she became the most popular kid with her vivid imagination and cheerful disposition. The teacher adored her, although not so much her stories of the Great Purple Fluff who liked to eat children at nap times with butter and marshmallows.

He shook his head. Whatever she was smoking, sometimes he wished he could have some. Rei frowned, biting his lip as he contemplated the phone in his left hand, and the business card in his right. Finally he pressed the buttons for the cell phone number the Usami had given him, and held the phone to his ear hesitantly. He'd taken the day off and hoped it wasn't for nothing.

"Yes, Usami Haruhiko here."

Rei felt his mouth go dry, hearing that deep, smoky voice again. "Gomen, Usami-san, it's Fujioka Rei. We met when you, umm..."

"No, I remember." Haruhiko's normally impassive voice held a note of amusement. _Well, glad you think I'm funny_. "I'm glad you called."

_Oh hell, now I'm all giggly._ "Well, I'm, um... glad I called?" _Smooth. Like a train wreck._

Haruhiko chuckled, making Rei bite his lip. _This is ridiculous! Getting all hot and bothered over his _voice_? I'm an idiot._ "Well anyway, I was hoping that we could, uh, do something? Oh wait, I'm such a freaking ass, how's your sister doing?" _You are so fucking insensitive, Fujioka_. _How could you ask for _

"It's alright. She's doing much better. The press is hounding the hospital, but Kusama, her doctor, seems to be handling it just fine. He thinks Miyako may be up to leaving in a week or so." The exhaustion in his voice became apparent, and Rei's chest gave a pang for the tired man.

"You sound really tired, we don't need to do anything today, it can wait until after things settle down." Rei pulled at the bottom of his light blue hoodie nervously, biting his lip harder. _It was stupid to call him so soon._

"Actually, I know that it's somewhat soon, but I would appreciate the company, if you'd be willing to spend our first date in the ICU avoiding paparazzi." He paused. "That doesn't sound terribly romantic, does it?"

"Actually," Rei grinned, pulling his black backpack higher on his shoulder. "Throw in some God-awful hospital coffee and we have a deal." _Holy crap, I have a date, I have a _date_!_

"Deal. I'll let the security know you're coming. Do you need to pick up your daughter this afternoon?"

Rei checked his watch. Nine on the dot. "No, I've got a friend who's on the pick-up list, when she finds out I took the day off to meet a guy, she'll offer to take her for the month. She's pretty... _insistent_ when it comes to me dating." He paused, wiping his hand over his face. "And I'm over-sharing again." _Stupid, stupid, stupid-_

"Actually it's quite nice, talking to someone who wants to talk to you." Haruhiko's quiet admission cut through Rei's internal self-abuse, making him grip the phone so tightly his knuckles turned while.

"Well, I like talking to you. You're funny for someone who drinks the most expensive Russian vodka and wears an Armani suit that costs more than my tuition." He smiled hearing the full laugh from the other side of the phone. "I'll hit the train now and be there in about an hour."

"I can send my car. Where are you?" Rei gave him the address of the street outside the elementary school. "My driver can be there in ten minutes."

"Oh, well sure, if that's not, you know, a problem."

"Not at all. He'll be there in ten minutes. I will see you soon."

"Yeah, uh, you too." He closed his phone and bit his lip, trying not to squeal with delight. Was is a fancy candlelit dinner? Hell no, but Rei wasn't into fancy food or expensive nights out. He liked the idea of just hanging out with the oldest Usami, eating take-out and talking. He remembered that he needed to call Ami and get her to take care of Kari for the night. He punched her number and tapped his foot impatiently.

"Moshi moshi, Ami-chan speaking!"

"Hey Ami, it's Rei. I was wondering if you could pick up Kari at one and watch her for the rest of the day?"

"Well sure, you know I love hanging with the Chibi, but how come? You don't have work until nine at the convenience store, right?"

Rei flushed. "Well, I actually took the day off. I kinda met somebody-"

"OH MY DEAR KAMI!" Rei winced and thrust the phone away from his ringing ear. _Kami she's such a freaking fangirl._Ami kept chattering away about how "kawaii" the entire concept of his dating was.

"Okay, okay, calm down! Yes, I've got a date, yes it's the first one I've had since I got Kari, and yes, it's great." Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the approach of a long, dark car. "Look, I gotta go, the car's here."

"What do you mean, 'car'? Are you taking a taxi? Where are you going, you have to tell me!"

"Kari gets out at one, bye, Ami." He hung up on her and watched in awe as the limo stopped right in front of him. He smiled awkwardly as the driver in sunglasses stepped out of the limo and walked around just to open his door.

"Oh, um, thank you." The driver nodded his head and Rei slid inside, smothering a gasp at the spacious interior. "Wow, I really hope you're not Yakuza, Haruhiko."

After a short drive, they arrived, and were immediately pounced on by reporters.

"Sir, are you here for Ekiguchi Miyako?"

"Can you tell us the status of her condition?"

"How much money did she make by helping her husband blackmail politicians?"

At the last comment, the driver, who was escorting him inside, hissed, "Don't say anything, they're hoping to rile you up so you'll say something." He shoved aside the reporters, clearing the way for Rei to hurry inside.

"Tenth floor, Fujioka-san. Usami-sama will call for me to take you home." The driver bowed to leave, but Rei had a thought.

"Wait, what's your name?" The driver looked surprised, at least as surprised as he could be behind sunglasses.

"Eito Takaji, Fujioka-san."

"Thank you, Takaji-san." Rei waved at the driver, who waved back with a blush before turning abruptly and braving the manic throng outside.

Upstairs, Rei asked a nurse where the ICU was, and pointed where two burly bodyguards stood at attention, tall and imposing. He swallowed hard and approached them, straining his neck to look up at them.

"Um... I'm here to see Usami Haruhiko?" He clutched his bag with both hands, trying not to fidget.

"Name?" One barked, making him jump.

"Oh, Fujioka Reiji." The guard on the left scanned a clipboard, flipping pages to the last one. _Kami, they make Daichi and Bisha look like toddlers! Please don't let me wet myself._

"Okay, you're good to go, but you'll have to leave your bag with us."

"No way!" Rei suddenly got his backbone and clutched his backpack to his chest. "This is my art supplies, I can't go to school without it! I buy my clothes from freaking thrift stores to afford this stuff, I'm not going to just hand it over!"

"Sir, I'm afraid-"

"It's alright, Giichi." Haruhiko, wearing a navy button down and black jeans parted the two men. "He can keep the bag."

"Of course, Usami-sama," the two bowed, and Haruhiko wrapped his hand around Rei's wrist, sending pleasant tingles up his arm. Rei trailed behind the taller man, clutching his bag with his free arm like a kindergarten. Rei couldn't get past how fucking _gorgeous_ the man looked in casual clothing, even hotter than in his Armani. He couldn't help watching the way the tight black jeans molded to his incredibly toned ass-

"Like what you see?" Haruhiko said, incredibly amused at being checked out.

"Oh yeah," Rei breathed. He flushed at the rich laughter ringing through the hallway. "I mean no! Well, not no, just not-" Suddenly sinful lips crashed onto his, muffling his frantic protests. _Yep, this is better. _Much_ better._

Haruhiko plundered the boy's mouth, swallowing every moan and every whimper. He started when the blond purred, clutching his collar tightly and dropping his precious backpack. Haruhiko just smirked, sliding his hands down the blond's waist, closer to his-

"There are children here," a bored voice drawled, causing the two to break apart. Haruhiko looked over the dazed blond to glare at his smirking younger brother.

"There's only one, and he's going to be turning thirty-one in two months." He growled, smoothing his wrinkled collar. Rei flushed next to him, ducking behind the taller man slightly.

"No need to be so snippy, _brother_," Usagi laughed. He nodded towards the pierced blond bartender. "Who's your, hmm, _friend_?"

Rei scrambled for his bag and bowed hastily. "Fujioka Rei."

Usagi nodded. "She's awake again. Kusama came by and said the ribs are healing the right way. She's craving something besides, and I quote, 'gray hospital dribble', so Misaki's at the back door of the hospital paying the delivery man."

Haruhiko sighed. "What was it this time?"

"Italian."

"I'm not entirely sure how much longer we can realistically subsist on subpar delivery."

"Well, thank you for that Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley," Rei rolled his eyes, secretly enjoying the exchange between brothers. Both brothers arched the same eyebrow, giving him the same imperious look of confusion.

He burst out laughing.

It was just too _much_, these two men that looked the same and were the same height, just different coloring, giving him the same reactions. He clutched his stomach, doubled over in laughter.

"I'm sorry," he gasped, wiping his eyes, "You two are just so freaking _hilarious_!"

Usagi glanced at his brother, brows furrowed. "Where did you find him, the asylum?" he drawled.

"Gay bar, actually." That left the silver haired man speechless, his brother smirking and grabbing the blond's wrist again, tugging him into the hospital room.

"Misaki?" a hopeful female voice called.

"No, your Ravioli di Portabello isn't here yet. But I did find someone who can eat faster than you." Haruhiko teased, releasing the blond as he sat in a chair next to the young woman sitting up. Rei stood at the door, watching the scene between sister and brother with some awkwardness.

No wonder the police ruled out that she was involved in her husband's blackmailing scheme, she was bruised from head to toe. Her entire torso, right arm, and left eye were covered in bandages, red peeping through the bandage on her chest. Her one good eye, a light, iridescent violet, looked at him with intelligence and kindness tinged with mischief. Her long silvery blond hair hung in a long braid well past her waist.

She snorted, rolling her eyes playfully. "Yeah, somehow I doubt that. Hi, I'm Usami Miyako, but you can call me Miya."

"Fujioka Reiji, but Rei's fine," he bowed briefly.

"He's my boyfriend." Haruhiko declared, making the boy color brightly while still bowed.

Miyako's eye softened. "I'm really, really glad," she said softly, her eye bright. She shook her head and smiled softly, turning her attention to Rei. "So, what do you do, Rei-san?"

"Really, Rei is fine. I'm actually an art student at Tokyo University. I'm a senior in my last semester, I'm hoping to work for Marukawa when I graduate."

"Manga?" She smiled sadly when he nodded. "I wanted to write manga before... well, when I was younger, anyway. I drew and wrote up a storm, stories about fantasy and love..." she winced, as if the memory had physically hurt her. "Anyways, what kind of manga are you looking to work on?"

"Well, I hate to be stereotypical, but my interests are mostly in shounen-ai or yaoi," he flushed. "I don't know, I just feel like they're less sparkly than shoujo manga, and the way characters meet tend to be more realistic than just 'star-crossed' lovers."

"I absolutely agree, but you have to admit, sometimes shounen-ai storylines can get a bit 'sparkly', too." This started a spirited debate on the merits of shoujo versus shounen-ai, Rei plopping in a chair, his face animated. Haruhiko sat back and watched the conversation with amusement and relief: amused when Rei stuck his tongue out at his sister when they disagreed, and relief when she laughed. She hadn't laughed very much in the past three days.

"Okay, I got food!" Misaki help up four full bags of food triumphantly. "I've never had 'Ee-tar-ee-an' before, but Usagi-san said it was-" he stopped, finally noticing Rei's presence. "Oh geez, sorry!" he bowed quickly. "I'm Takahashi Misaki, you must be the person Usagi-ani said was coming."

"Must be," Rei laughed, bowing back. "Fujioka Rei. Want help with the food?"

"Oh yes, please!"

Between the two of them, they managed to dish out all the food. Miyako snatched her two orders of ravioli in alfredo sauce and large breadsticks as soon as Misaki held them out to her.

"Stop being such a piranha, Miya," Usagi sighed, gingerly spearing a piece of sausage from his baked ziti. "Don't bite Misaki's hands off just because you're hungry. Kusama's going to kill us anyway for giving you so much."

She stuck out her tongue. "Kusama said I could have some real food today, and vegetables boiled to death is _not_ real food."

"I highly doubt he meant overprocessed Italian food."

"But he _didn't_ say I couldn't have it, right?" She beamed triumphantly. "Ah, beautiful dairy-filled good, how I love thee." Misaki and Rei smothered giggles as she continued to coo to her lunch. Usagi and Haruhiko just enjoyed this moment of joy: her therapist had confided that she would be having mood swings, and from the depression of the past few days, they were happy that it was on the upswing.

"Here, Rei-san," Misaki handed him an aluminum container. "Haruhiko wasn't sure what you'd like, but he ordered you fettucine alfredo, I hope you like it."

"I've never had 'Ee-tar-ee-an' either," the blonde confessed, opening the plastic lid. "But is smells good, like garlic."

"It's broad noodles in a cheese sauce," Haruhiko explained. "If you don't like it, I can get you something else."

"No, I'm sure it's fine," Rei laughed. He took the plastic fork and hesitantly bit into the noodle, his eyes widening. "Uwa, this is _awesome_!" he gushed, starting to shovel it in just as fast as the Usami sister. The other three occupants just watched in disgusted fascination as the two polished off the huge amounts of food in the time it took them to consume three bites.

"Ahh, Rei, I've lost," Miyako sighed as Rei held his completely empty (and licked clean) container. "I've never met anyone who could out-eat me."

Rei laughed, embarrassed. "When you have a baby in the house, you learn to eat a lot really fast while you have the five minutes. Unfortunately Kari picked up the habit."

"You have a baby, Rei-san?" Misaki cocked his head. "But aren't you my age?" The "But aren't you gay?" hung unsaid in the air.

"I'm twenty-two, you can just use Rei, and she's not technically mine." He smiled sadly. "My older sister had... _problems_, and passed away when Kari was a year old. She's technically my niece, but I adopted her legally after her mother died."

"Oh, I'm sorry Rei, I didn't mean-"

"No Misaki, it's okay." Rei smiled. "I love her to bits, and as far as it matters, I'm her father." He coughed, feeling embarrassed that he had shared so much information that made most people feel uncomfortable. Suddenly he had an idea to break the awkward atmosphere.

"Oh, Miyako-san," he grabbed his backpack, unzipping it and grabbing a blank sketch book and a pack of professional drawing pencils. "Here, I want you to have these. I've got tons extra," he lied easily. Miyako's eyes widened as he placed them in her lap. "Oh wait, your arm..."

"It's just my arm, not my wrist," she breathed, touching the professional magaka materials reverently. "I can still draw a little, at least until it hurts." Her eyes looked bright as she opened the brand new book, looking close to tears as she stared at the blank page. The room was silent for a moment, the only sound the heaving breaths from Miyako.

"You know what? I could use some juice!" she suddenly exclaimed, plastering a smile on her face. "Nii-chan, Onii-san, could you get us some juice? Pomegranate please?"

"Oh Miyako-san, it's okay, I can go get it-"

"No Misaki, you've been running around all day," Usagi kissed the forehead of his uke, taking delight in the way his face flushed. "Orange for you?"

"What about you, Rei?" Haruhiko touched the blond's shoulder, sending heat spiraling down his spine. _I've only actually been in his presence for six hours total, why does he effect me so much?_

"Um, lemonade please." The brothers left side by side, with their boyfriends staring after them longingly.

"Misaki, can you close the door please?" Miyako's quiet voice, tinged with sadness. Snapped out of their ogling, Misaki rose to push the hospital door closed with a _click_. "Rei, there's a pair of scissors in the top drawer of the dresser, can you get them?"

As Rei rose, Misaki turned away from the door in alarm. "Miyako-san, you know what the therapist said-"

"I know," she nodded sadly, "I'm under suicide watch. That's not what it's for, I promise." Rei didn't move until Misaki nodded at him hesitantly. He opened the drawer and pulled out the red-handled scissors, handing them handle first to Miyako. She stared at them, unseeing, her hand shaking.

"They loved my hair, you know," she said quietly, fingering the long silver braid. "Loved how long it was, pulling on it. I tried running away once, and he grabbed my hair and pulled me all the way back to the bedroom with it. He found out about my third pregnancy; he hurt me so badly that night, I miscarried." Her voice, before full of mirth and mischief, was now empty, robotic, as if she didn't even realize the words spilling from her chapped lips. Both boys looked at each other uneasily, not feeling comfortable with where her thoughts were going.

_Snip_.

The boys tore their gazes from each to see, in horror, that Miyako had cleanly cut her over three foot long braid. It curled limply on the bed, still in the neat braid. The hair she had left hung chin-length, obscuring her gaze. She dropped the scissors and watched emotionlessly as they fell with a lout _clatter_ on the hospital tile.

"Miyako-san, your hair!" Rei grabbed the scissors from the floor, watching sadly as the woman tried to keep her emotions in check.

"Rei, could you cut it? Away from my face? I don't ever want anyone to... pull on it or cover my face with it again." Her voice quavered with the effort it took not to break. Rei bit his lip, filled with indecision.

_Don't do it, Rei. Things are going great with Haruhiko, you really wanna fuck that up by help his sister mutilate her hair?_ But suddenly, an image of a broken, hurting Kari flitted through his mind, begging him to help him heal in some way. His heart broke, and his eyes grew misty.

_How can I _not?

By the time Haruhiko and Usagi returned with five cans of juice, Rei finished cutting the back of Miyako's now short hair close to the back of her neck. It resembled Usagi's hairstyle, except slightly longer in front and shorter in the back. Rei froze when he saw his boyfriend in the doorway, eyes wide. He pulled away from Miyako, placing the scissors back in the top dresser drawer. He avoided Haruhiko's eyes, choosing instead to stare at the monotonous white hospital tile. _Well, here goes the only relationship you've had since a lawyer called you to tell you you were the only relative left to take care of your niece. Nice going, dumbass._

"It suits you." Rei stared at his... boyfriend, completely blown away. He wasn't an expert on Haruhiko's facial expressions, but he seemed almost _approving_.

"Actually, I agree." Usagi nodded, his eyes unreadable. "You look more like an adult now."

And that broke the dam.

A choked, agonized sob broke from Miyako's lips as she curled in on herself, burying her face in her mobile hand, tears streaming down her cheeks. Misaki, who was finishing throwing away the short silver hairs that had fallen while Rei snipped hair, jumped from his position over the trash can.

"Um, Misaki, I think we should give them some time," Rei said softly, motioning for Misaki to follow him out. The two ukes left the brothers to comfort the broken woman, closing the door softly behind them.

_Great job, Rei. You try to help out your boyfriend's sister and you end up adding to her emotional distress. He's going to kick your ass to the curb when he gets out. _Rei slumped in a chair glumly. _So much for dating, I guess._

**A/N: And there's chapter 2! If some of this is confusing or doesn't make sense, make sure you read "The Reason", which will have more in-depth detail about Miyako. "The Reason" focuses more on Usagi and Misaki's relationship through this ordeal, while "My Reason" will focus on Haruhiko and Rei. If you're confused about the sudden cordial behavior between Usagi and Haruhiko, "The Reason" is where you're going to find answers.**

**Don't Preach: Holy crap, I was so psyched to see your review, you're like a Junjou celebrity on here, I 3 all of your fics! And thank you SO much for your review! I'm a messy person and very scatter-brained, but I'm an anal perfectionist when it comes to my writing.**

**I'll be honest, I was skeptical about the Usami sister at first, I wasn't sure it would flow, but it seems to be working out well. If you want to know what Fuyuhiko and Haruhiko were fighting about, read "The Reason", all of it happens at the same time and kind of rely on each other. I didn't want them in the same story, so I made them separate so that Usagi and Misaki have their own story and Haruhiko and Rei have another. If I put all this in one story, it would be crazy long!**

**Thank you everyone for your reviews and reading! Chapter 3 will be up as soon as I can! Also, sorry for the fake-out Story Alert, I got the chapter mixed up with "The Reason"**


	3. Chapter 3

Dear Faithful Readers,

First of all, my apologies for not getting out new chapters as quickly as you or I had hoped. I've had some personal issues affecting productivity in all areas of my life recently, but that's neither here nor there. Next apology is that THIS is not a new chapter.

As you're all aware, FF is cracking down on content that is MA, which just about all of my stories are. So I want to provide you a few places where you'll be able to find my fics:

Wordpress: I started a Wordpress blog just so you all can see my fics in one place: gaiasfanfiction dot wordpress dot com. I think I can do posting alerts or something for it, but I'm not entirely sure. I'll let you know as soon as I know.

Yourfanfiction: This I am REALLY excited about, since both Cerberus Revised and The Black Flamingo have both headed here. It's easy to navigate and has the MA rating, so I can post everything from here there.

I'll be deleting the MA chapters and leaving this up to let you know where they're at, but I won't be updating these stories with any non MA content, only on these two sites. I want to thank all of your for inspiring me to keep writing, even if it's been a little while, and encouraging me to do what I love doing. I hope to see you either on YFF or WP!

Sincerely,

Gaia of the Fores


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